Middle-earth
Middle-earth, also known as Arda, is a Lord of the Rings location featured in LEGO Dimensions. Background During the captivity of Melkor (Morgoth), the Valar invited the Elves to dwell with them in Aman. Many Elves accepted this invitation, and set out for the West; these became known as the Eldar. Along the way, some groups of Eldar, notably the Nandor and the Sindar, chose to remain in Middle-earth. The Sindar settled in the region of Beleriand, a north-western coastal area of Middle-earth. When the Years of the Sun began, Arda experienced the so-called Second Spring, a new period of growth and vitality as a result of the light of the sun in Middle-earth. At that time, Men also awoke in the east of Middle-earth. At the end of the First Age, Beleriand was destroyed during the War of Wrath, and much of it sank beneath Belegaer; only a few high points, such as Himring (later Himling) and parts of Dorthonion (later Tol Fuin), remained above sea level as islands. In the Second Age, Númenor was raised in the Great Sea for the Edain. This island existed through most of the Second Age, but was destroyed as a result of the pride of the Númenórean people in defying the Ban of the Valar and sailing to Aman in the west. During the downfall of Númenor, Arda was made round. The Undying Lands (Aman and Tol Eressëa) were taken out of the world, and could only be reached by the Elves, following the straight road that was granted to them. As Aman was taken away from Arda, new lands and continents were created. South of Middle-earth was the Dark Land and east of it was the Land of the Sun. Tolkien stated many times that Arda was our world in a fictional time, so we can interpret the known regions of Middle-earth as Europe, perhaps specifically the Mediterranean (Mediterraneus is Latin for "Middle-earth"). Tolkien stated that The Shire was situated at roughly the same latitude as the Midlands of England, while Minas Tirith in Gondor was at the same latitude of Florence, putting Mount Doom and Mordor in the general region of Asia Minor. However, the entire continent of Middle-earth extends beyond the regions known to Gondor, far into the uncharted East and South, and Middle-earth probably encompassed all of what later became Eurasia. Information regarding both was very vague. To the south were the Hither Lands including Harad, though "Harad" means "South" and while properly used for the region immediately south of Gondor and Mordor was often loosely used to refer to the every land to the south. Near Harad and Far Harad probably corresponded to North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, respectively. There were many stretches of sun-scorched desert in Near Harad, but like Africa there was supposedly a jungle beyond it which few had ever ventured to, from which the great Oliphaunts were found. Tolkien also said that the Haradrim loosely corresponded to the Berbers (though "Haradrim" refers to a group of many races, not just the one). Men of Far Harad are also described as being black skinned. The vast eastern lands were collectively referred to as Rhûn, and like Harad they are uncharted. The Easterlings, like the Haradrim, were a diverse collection of many races, ranging from nomadic steppe horsemen akin to Turkic and Mongol tribes to civilized and rich kingdoms stretching across the vast Eastlands. Rhun supposedly stopped at another ocean at its eastern end. In ancient times the great chain of the Red Mountains, the eastern counterpart of the Blue Mountains of the west, ran north to south near here (all of the world was once symmetrical at the dawn of time). The Elves first awoke in the east, though their original home of Cuiviénen doubtless no longer existed by the Third Age. It is not known if the Red Mountains themselves survived into the Third Age, either intact or in some reduced form (like the Blue Mountains). The lands of the east probably collectively corresponded to the Asian continent, if Harad was taken as Africa. It is said that the Blue Wizards went far into the east of Rhûn and beyond to stir up rebellions against Sauron in the lands he held sway over, though the tales of these struggles never reached the west in detail. It is also said that the Blue Wizards somehow failed in their mission; this is interpreted several ways, either that like Saruman they set themselves up as lords of men, or that like Radagast they started to care more for the local people they were charged with protecting than Middle-earth as a whole and then refused to return. Tolkien did state that many of the "magic cults" and orders that exist in Asian countries today can trace their origins back to the Blue Wizards teaching local peoples of the east the magical arts. There was also a separate continent south and east of Middle-earth called the Dark Land, which could correspond to Australia. Another separate continent to the east of Middle-earth was the Land of the Sun, so called because when the world was flat the Gates of the Sun were near there, and it would be scorched. After the Fall of Númenor, Arda is made round and new lands are created east of Middle-earth (and west too, now that the world is round and can be circumnavigated), out of these Sun Lands that are apparently meant to be North and South America, though none of Tolkien's mythology deals with what happens there. The Sun Lands were known to contain a north to south running mountain range which could correspond to the Rockies and Andes mountain ranges. Dimensions Crisis At some point in LEGO Dimensions, during the Gandalf vs. Balrog scene in the Mines of Moria, Batman rescues Gandalf from falling with the Balrog before Frodo Baggins gets sucked into the vortex with the One Ring by Lord Vortech. Later in Riddle-earth, Lord Vortech sends The Riddler and the Balrog to invade Middle-earth, stationed at Minas Tirith for the level's final boss fight. Areas * Minas Tirith * Mordor ** Barad-Dur ** Mount Doom * The Argonath ** Argonath Ruins * The Shire ** Hobbiton * Rivendell * Mines of Moria Quests & Renovations Quests * Weeding out the Bad Seeds * Watcher in the Water * Cast it into the Fire! * Saruman on a Mission * Umbar-water Treasure Renovations * Repair Barad-dur (in Mordor) * Restore the water mill (in Hobbiton) * Repair the council chamber (in Rivendell) * Restore the courtyard (in Minas Tirith) * Restore the forge (in Mordor) * Invest in the crop field (in Hobbiton) * Restore the Argonath statute (in The Argonath) * Unlock the jukebox Gallery World-2.jpg LD_1.PNG World-1439458425.jpg LD_14.PNG World-1439458400.jpg World-1439458451.jpg World-3.jpg Minas tirith.png LegoBlueOwen.png Shagirandalf.png LDlevel9.jpg LDlevel8.jpg CO3rUmSWsAAzykR.png GandalfShagBlue.jpg LegolaOwenRaptor.png 15137555 1805501553068599 116085923642203093 o.jpg Category:Locations Category:The Lord of the Rings Locations Category:The Lord of the Rings Category:Index Category:Film Locations Category:2015 Category:Year 1 Category:Starter Pack